If you have a nice, warm spot to gather friends and family in, what else do you really need? This 80sqm pad in Taguig City has just a few pieces of furniture, which all make for genial conversation, nice meals, and some quiet me-time.

The couple acquired one two-bedroom unit and one studio in this development, and had the units combined. “We were able to tell the builders, in writing, before the turnover, not to put anything in place—walls, toilets, tiles, nothing. It looked like a warzone,” recalls the lady of the house.

They reconfigured the unit to have one bedroom with an adjoining bathroom and a walk-in closet, one powder room, and a maid’s room with a toilet and bath. They enlisted the help of a school chum, interior designer Garnet David, who helped maximize the space.

The lady of the house likes to change the layout of her space now and then, and the limited floor area doesn’t seem to be a hindrance. All this movement keeps the energy in the room circulating happily, even as it keeps the homeowner feeling, well, happy!

Entryway

The homeowners’ main concern was storage, so there are plenty of cabinets and shelves, including the three tall shoe cabinets in the entryway. “They’re good enough for 100 pairs,” says the owner. The wood cutouts on the doors allow for aeration, and are reminiscent of the calado details of Filipino ancestral homes. The main door is finished in chalkboard paint, a great canvas for the homeowners’ grandkids to doodle on.

Living area

The living area has a chocolate brown sofa and a black armchair (find similar at SM Home). Rugs delineate the living area from the home office, which is simply a brown desk with touches of black from Prizmic & Brill (Greenbelt 5 3/L, Makati City) and a modern black Lucite chair from LRI Design Plaza (210 Nicanor Garcia Street, Makati City).

Another neat storage feature: the white sliding doors can completely shut out the combined entertainment system and book storage, creating a pure white wall that makes the living room feel even more peaceful.

Dining area

The overall palette of the entire condo unit remains white: white blinds, white walls, white doors, white tiles. With nothing on the walls, this palette is undisturbed. Touches of color come from the floor tiles, fabric, and accents in the furniture. You can find a black midcentury Papa Bear armchair like this at Space Encounters. The black pendant lamps over the dining table are from Dimensione.

This rustic-meets-industrial dining table and the unvarnished benches were custom-made by a carpenter. “The table had to be sturdy enough to be browbeat by anyone using the place,” says the owner, who designed the table out of leftover hardwood strips and welded galvanized iron pipes. The area is bathed in light, courtesy of big windows wrapping the entire unit. You can find a similar rustic dining table like this at Match Contract.

Kitchen

The homeowner originally wanted a more intricate pattern for the kitchen’s Machuca tiles. “My choice was this really beautiful purple and red thing, quite a rare design,” she recalls. But interior designer Garnet advised her against it, saying it would compete for attention with the other house items when the condo fills up. They settled on this simple pattern, which blends well with the hardwood floor. You can buy Machuca tiles at MC Home Depot or call Machuca Tiles at (02) 735-1797.

Master bedroom

The simple bedroom has only two major elements: one, a low bed with a black headboard and black upholstery running on three sides; tow, a white wall shelf for the TV and other items.

Walk-in-closet

Metal cutouts make up the top part of the wall separating the master bedroom from the walk-in-closet. “Garnet and I were just walking around Wilcon, when we both stopped and said, ‘We have to use this!’ We had thought of a slatted division between bedroom and walk-in closet, and also between kitchen and maid’s room, for the inflow of air. Those are the areas that have no windows,” says the owner.

Bathroom

All white tiles from floor to ceiling give the tiny bathroom an illusion of space. Built-in cabinets offer precious storage for toiletries and household items.

Maid's room

In the maid’s room, the bed hangs on a cantilevered platform from the walls, allowing for ventilated space underneath. Luggage on wheels, stuffed with clothes; plastic containers for house tools; stackable laundry bins; backpacks and other personal items can fit under there. The room has its own toilet and bath.

The original article ("White Space") first appeared in the June 2015 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. Minor edits have been applied by the Real Living editors.